'No relief': Wrigleyville bar owner prepares for Hurricane Milton after Helene destroys FL home

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A former Chicago man whose Florida home was damaged by Hurricane Helene is now staring down Milton, another major hurricane headed toward densely populated cities, like Tampa and Orlando.

The contents from the inside of Joe Spagnoli's house are spread outside as garbage, waiting to be picked up. Nearly two weeks after Hurricane Helene virtually destroyed his home and many of his possessions, he's got a huge job ahead to rebuild.

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"It's hard to feel sorry for yourself when everybody on these barrier islands for 14 miles is going through the same thing," Spagnoli said.

Spagnoli's house is on the barrier islands near Tampa. He was in Chicago when the storm hit. He owns the popular Wrigleyville sports bar Yak-Zies, and had to watch the destruction from afar. A friend staying at his house was forced to try to stay safe on the kitchen island, even as the water rose above it by several inches.

"She wound up getting rescued by the sheriff's department at 6 a.m.," Spagnoli said.

Spagnoli also lost two expensive cars and his collector boat, which was used in the television show "Miami Vice." He is now trying to prepare for round two, with Hurricane Milton expected to hit Wednesday.

"It became a hurricane very quickly. And so, not only is it a hurricane, it's already a major hurricane," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said.

Forecasters are predicting Hurricane Milton could be more powerful than Helene, and it's aimed directly at the Tampa area. Spagnoli is worried about all the debris he and his neighbors have piled up outside.

"All that debris is gonna be washed between all these homes, and there's nobody that's gonna help us clean up. There's no insurance company that's gonna help clean-up efforts. There's no relief in sight," Spagnoli said.